Early June is a great time to seek out massive groups of adult alligators hovering near shrinking pools of fresh water.

Last week part of The News-Press paradise team spent a day in the Everglades documenting non-native species for an upcoming Sunday piece. Along the way, we saw maybe 100 alligators, from 3-footers lurking near logs to 8s and 9s basking in the warm sun. We started along Highway 29 just south of Interstate 75 and worked further south to Loop Road in Collier County — where we saw the largest groupings and biggest specimens.

The rainy season started this week, and it won’t take long for the swamps to fill — which will give the alligators plenty of room to roam. But for now these ancient swamp creatures are forced to stay near any water they can find.

Always be careful when viewing alligators, which will sometimes defend holes and ponds during particularly dry conditions.

Changes to bass rules possible

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is poised to change largemouth bass harvest in hopes of providing more trophy catches and protecting the future of the state’s most targeted freshwater species. The state is taking public comment this year and could make the changes effective by summer of 2016.

Largemouth bass are the most targeted freshwater species in the state, and the fishery accounts for more than $500 million a year in retail sales, according to FWC. The state estimates the entire economic impact of bass fishing is $1.25 billion annually.

Bass rules are divided by regions: Northwest, Central and Northeast and South. Southwest Florida spans the latter two — everything north of State Road 80 is Central and Northeast and all waters south of State Road 80 are in the South region. The bag limit in Florida is five, and bass north of 80 must be between 14 and 22 inches, with one of those five per day allowed to be longer than 22 inches. Anglers fishing south of 80 can keep five bass 14 inches or shorter, although one of the five-fish limit may be longer than 14 inches.

The new rule would allow licensed anglers to keep five bass measuring 16 inches or shorter per day. One of those five fish, however, can exceed 16 inches.